DIY Fire Starter’s

[Alan46]

We were wondering, what are some of the ways that you guys are making your own fire starter’s. I tried small dried fir cones dipped in wax not good. Now using shredded paper stuffed into an ice tray with melted wax works good! Any other ideas? Thanks in advance for any ideas.

 

[Eagle1]

Dryer lint if you want something to take a spark.

 

[Alan46]

Dryer lint if you want something to take a spark.

There are only two of us, we don’t produce enough lint for our daily fires.

 

[Rustyiron]

We use birch bark.

 

[MTGreen]

I would suggest some back issues of Field and Stream magazine. Back when I subscribed they had a new idea for fire starting just about every issue. I vaguely remember things like cotton balls, wax and fine steel wool.
Should be able to find them cheap at the used bookstore or free at the library

 

[dodge man]

I use the fire starter bricks I buy at Walmart. I’m pretty cheap so I break them in half.

 

[rangerfredbob]

When we get frisky we take dryer lint and push it in egg cartons then drip melted wax on the top then cut those up, works GREAT

My go to is fat wood, buy it in huge quantity like HERE, they come in big pieces, take a hatchet and split them into pencil size pieces, take say 3 of those and light one and put them under some kindling then put firewood directly on top of that and you have a fire... as far as quantity and storage, one of those boxes fits in 3 of the christmas style popcorn tins and one box lasts me 3-4 years (they're cheaper in the off season)

The other dumb option is hand sanitizer, it's amazing what 3 squirts on some kindling will do , I found gallons of hand sanitizer at home depot clearance (it's crazy what they do once they're not required to supply it...) for $1 a gallon so I bought a bunch of that so I'm covered for years...

 

[jjeff]

I use pop 12 pack boxes stuff them with newspaper/ kindling/ sometimes dryer lint. Instant fire all the time every time. I think I posted something about my hack on garage hack thread.

 

[3Ts]

-Cotton balls (even polyester ones) with vaseline
-steel wool and a battery
-wood shavings and wax

 

[PreacherM]

I've been using leftover or discarded wax candles. Melt them in an old skillet and pour the wax about 3/4 inch thick in some kind of container. Add as much sawdust or wood shavings as the wax will absorb. When cool enough to handle break it apart into whatever size pieces you desire. Garage sales or GW Fashions (GoodWill) are good places to get large old candles for a quarter or two.
As mentioned above, pretty much any source of organic material can be used instead of sawdust. Paper, cotton balls, etc. After learning of this method I won't go back to using just newspapers and kindling. (That and the fact our local newspaper just quit.)

 

[Rockbadchild]

Old fashion newspapers or birch bark.

 

[jjeff]

Always curious if some of the many manufactured firestarter sticks contribute to excessive creosote build up?

 

[MAX-24-Dean]

Birch bark.
Dryer lint with drops of olive oil.
Olive oil on half a paper towel.
Pine pitch wood splits.

This season have used 5 tablespoons of Olive oil to start fires, mixing with dryer lint or paper towels.
Buy the cheapest Olive oil available and have never used more than a 1/4 of a pint in a heating season.

 

[Rockbadchild]

Always curious if some of the many manufactured firestarter sticks contribute to excessive creosote build up?

not sure but I doubt it, the worse thing for creosote buildup is burning green wood, I burn dry wood (at least two-year-old) and I pretty much never have to clean my chimney. Hot fire = clean smoke.

 

[cqaigy2]

Birch bark.
Dryer lint with drops of olive oil.
Olive oil on half a paper towel.
Pine pitch wood splits.

This season have used 5 tablespoons of Olive oil to start fires, mixing with dryer lint or paper towels.
Buy the cheapest Olive oil available and have never used more than a 1/4 of a pint in a heating season.

Extra virgin?

Hand sanitizer, might have to try that, just to see if nothing else. I use fatwood too.

Load wood, piece of fatwood on top, a few pieces of smallish wood and there it is, a nice fire.

 

[/pine]

Fatwood...!

 

[MAX-24-Dean]

Extra virgin?

Hand sanitizer, might have to try that, just to see if nothing else. I use fatwood too.

Load wood, piece of fatwood on top, a few pieces of smallish wood and there it is, a nice fire.

I use the Extra Virgin Olive oil in my lamps, because the Extra Virgin oil has a higher temperature smoke point. So we get light, but no smoke. Fun things you learn when being raised off grid. Then after retirement returning to the original family offgrid homestead.

 

[cqaigy2]

I use the Extra Virgin Olive oil in my lamps, because the Extra Virgin oil has a higher temperature smoke point. So we get light, but no smoke. Fun things you learn when being raised off grid. Then after retirement returning to the original family offgrid homestead.

Ok, im guilty of thread drift, but what lamps do you have?

 

[Alan46]

I would suggest some back issues of Field and Stream magazine. Back when I subscribed they had a new idea for fire starting just about every issue. I vaguely remember things like cotton balls, wax and fine steel wool.
Should be able to find them cheap at the used bookstore or free at the library

Will try that!

 

[Alan46]

Thank you all! So many good things to try and so little time